Beloved digital pet website Neopets is amongst a group of 12 finalists vying for induction into The Strong Museum of Play‘s World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2024. Each year, the museum inducts a number of important video games into its collection, with curators and fans voting to determine which games get in.
This year, the battle is between the following titles: Asteroids, Elite, Guitar Hero, Metroid, Myst, Neopets, Resident Evil, SimCity, Tokimeki Memorial, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Ultima, and You Don’t Know Jack. Each has relevance to the history of video games, in their cultural impact and influence, and how they’ve shaped modern gaming.
While Metroid, Myst, and Resident Evil are clear standouts amongst the list, each inclusion is certainly worthy. They may not all make it into the Video Game Hall of Fame this year, but they likely will in years to come.
As for Neopets, while it may seem like an odd inclusion amongst a pack of more traditional PC and console games, it deserves recognition for its place in history, and its social impact.
As one of the first major games to use the internet and web browser to connect with players, in a time when the internet was becoming more widely available, it has a cultural and historical relevance that’s important to recognise.
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While its peak has long faded, the early 2000s were dominated by Neopets – to the point where there were McDonald’s crossover toys, and toys on mainstream retail shelves including plushies, and electronic toys. One of these – Tiger Electronics’ Neopets: Meridell Deluxe World (which this writer still owns) – is used by the Strong Museum to represent Neopets in physical form.
“Even 10 years in, there’s no shortage of deserving contenders that have had enormous influence on pop culture or the game industry itself,” Jon-Paul C. Dyson, director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games, said of this year’s nominations.
“These games span decades. Asteroids is an icon of the late 70s arcade. Myst showed the potential of CD-ROM technology in the 90s. Neopets became a staple of browser-based, free games as we entered the 2000s. And Guitar Hero, which is less than 20 years old, has already proven its staying power.”
The World Video Game Hall of Fame reportedly received “thousands of nominations” for the 2024 inductees, with the 12 announced games representing the most voted picks. Between 14-21 March 2024, those with a stake are encouraged to vote on these picks via the Player’s Choice ballot.
The three games that receive the most public votes will be included as one lot of judge’s picks, with other ballots also submitted by members of the International Selection Advisory Committee for the Video Game Hall of Fame. The final lot of inductees, determined from these ballots, will be revealed on 9 May 2024, in an on-site ceremony at The Strong Museum.
